Virginia Smith

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Virginia Dodd Smith (June 30, 1911 – January 23, 2006) was an Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1975 to 1991 from the Third Congressional District of Nebraska. She was the first woman ever to represent the sprawling district which covers geographically the western two thirds of Nebraska. Since her retirement no women has since been elected to congress from Nebraska.

She was born in Randolph, Iowa, to Clifton Clark Dodd and the former Erville Reeves. She married Haven N. Smith on August 27, 1931. Haven Smith died on May 12, 1997, in Sun City, AZ., where the couple lived after 1991. There were no children from the marriage. Virginia and Haven are buried in Iowa.

Virginia Smith graduated from the University of Nebraska in 1936. For most of her adult life, she lived in Chappell, in Deuel County, in the Nebraska Panhandle and worked as an advocate on rural and agricultural issues. She was also a member of the Business and Professional Women's Club, and she served as national president from 1951-1954 of the American Country Life Association. She was a Republican National Convention delegate at each party conclave from 1956 to 1972. Smith was elected to succeed Representative Dave Martin in 1974. In the year of Watergate, she defeated her Democratic opponent by just 737 votes, but she was easily re-elected in subsequent elections. A young Karl Rove, advisor to President George W. Bush worked on the Smith campaign that year in one of his first election assignments. In 1984, Mrs. Smith was named "Independent Woman of the Year."

[edit] Congresswoman Smith

In Congress, Smith worked to guard funding for rural projects affecting her district--which spanned the western three-fourths of Nebraska--and was a vocal opponent of legislative pay increases. She actively sought emergency federal aid for Grand Island after a series of devastating tornadoes swept through the city in 1980. In 1987, she led a drive to roll back a $12,100 pay raise and refused to accept the money when her efforts failed.

Smith was a member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, where she was regarded as a swing vote on many Reagan administration priorities. She was the critical vote in favor of funding the controversial MX missile in 1982 but opposed the president's request for funding the Contra rebels in Nicaragua in 1985.

National Republicans encouraged Smith to run against Sen. J. James Exon in 1984, but, at 73, she passed on the race and instead ran for re-election. She opted against seeking reelection in 1990 and was succeeded by Republican Bill Barrett.

The Virginia Smith Converter Station (near Sidney in Cheyenne County) and the Virginia Smith Dam on the Calamus River (near Burwell in Garfield County) are named for her. Her congressional papers are archived at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She died in Sun City West, Arizona, at the age of 94. She was a Methodist.

Smith was asked when she came to Congress about her philosophy of life. "As a 15-year-old high school valedictorian [in 1927], I wrote these words in my valedictory message. 'There is no excellence without great labor.' Almost half a century later, I continue to live by this philosophy."

Preceded by Dave Martin (R)

United States Representative for the 3rd Congressional District of Nebraska Virginia Dodd Smith (R) 1975–1991

Succeeded by Bill Barrett (R)

[edit] References

• Dan Balz. "Indiana Democrat Wins House Panel's Support." 04/24/1985. Washington Post. p. A4.
• Judith Havemann. "2 in GOP Try to Block Pay Raise for Congress." Washington Post. 01/07/1987. p. A14.
• George C. Wilson. "Funding for MX Surives on Tied Committee Vote." Washington Post. 12/03/1982. p. A1.
• Entry in the Biographical Dictionary of Congress
• U.S. House of Representatives. Office of the Clerk. Election Statistics.
• Who's Who in America, 1984-1985